Is a cleanse on your resolution list?

New Year's Resolution time. For just about everybody, that includes some variation on the theme of eating healthier: eat less, no more sugar, eat more vegetables, less potato chips, more tea, less coffee, fewer carbs.

I'm a huge fan of the cleanse, after I did one last year, and am getting ready to do one again. Mine was doctor supervised, and initiated by thyroid disease, but there are many other good reasons to do one: liver health, lose a few pounds, detoxify your system of the toxins in our food, gain some mental clarity. There are also hundreds of confusing and some dubious cleansing regimens and products out there. How do you know what's worthwhile?

Dr. Brad Watts, at the Functional Endocrinology Center of Colorado, oversaw my cleanse. He recommends doing the liver cleanse twice a year, because the liver is so important to our overall health. He stresses the elimination diet for 21 days, too -- to eliminate potentially problematic foods or allergens, and give your liver and gall-bladder a break and chance to reset, as well as to keep your blood sugar level. It's also important to supplement your liver with proper nutrients. Check out their Top Resolutions for 2011.

GOOP also has an introduction to Dr. Alejandro Junger's Clean cleanse -- either a 21-day (similar to the one I did, with an elimination diet) or a 3-day mini-cleanse. It's what Gwyneth Paltrow does when she needs a cleanse.

Have you done a cleanse? Which regimen did you follow? Were you happy with the results? Here's to your happy liver!